Concerns raised after increase in minors being petitioned for adult court in Alameda County

ALAMEDA COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- Commissioners of the Alameda County Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Commission raised concerns of new directives coming from the new district attorney's office at its Wednesday meeting.

"The commission has been very concerned over the last couple of months at the increase of adult transfer petitions that been filed by the D.A.'s office," says Elana Metz, Vice Chair of the commission.

According to the commission's data, only three young people were transferred to adult court between 2014-2023. In the past six months, under District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson, six juvenile cases are currently pending transfer to adult court.

"Right now, there (are) 60 young people in custody in Alameda County Juvenile Hall. And at least six of them - there has been filed for adult transfer. So that's 10% of the youth," says Metz. "And that's so alarming to us because we know the whole purpose the juvenile justice system is for rehabilitation."

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The six being petitioned for transfer are all charged with murder says Vamsey Palagummi, Chair of the commission. But he adds that this is still a huge departure from previous administrations. Palagummi says they first learned about the potential transfers after public defenders and families alert them.

"Because we have only sent three in the past 10 years, I think we have kind of sent this message and stance that we can rehabilitate young people even for serious crimes," says Palagummi. "And we have actually seen that we can do that. We have young people now going to college straight from juvenile hall. We have young people who have really healed and have given back to the community."

"The notice itself does not mean that the youth will be sent to adult (court). Doesn't necessarily mean the D.A. will make a genuine effort to us to try the case as adult," explained Alphonso Mance, the Assistant Public Defender for Alameda County, during the meeting.

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Mance noted that recently there was a case where a notice was filed but then withdrawn after more discussion.

The district attorney's office declined to be interviewed. But in a statement to ABC7 News, D.A. Jones Dickson writes: "To date, we have not conducted a single hearing to transfer a minor to the adult criminal justice system."

Brenda Grisham is with the group SAFE, which led the recall of D.A. Pamela Price, who was accused of not being tough on crime.

Grisham doesn't believe juveniles who commit serious crimes, like murder, can be rehabilitated by age 25. But a bigger concern is that she alleges D.A. Price didn't even allow minors to be considered for adult court.

"All of them don't warrant that. But in the previous administration, they didn't petition for anybody for a judge to decide whether they were going to be charged as adults or not. That's the difference," explains Grisham.

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But that claim is being refuted by the Alameda County Public Defenders Office, which says it isaware of at least three petitions DA Price filed to transfer cases from juvenile to adult court.

The commission says it is raising concerns now to keep a spotlight on any cases that do get transferred.

"We really want to understand with transparency, what's going on? What the process is. And make sure this isn't happening and kind of getting swept under the rug. That there are eyes on this," says Metz.